Someday Soon
by This Writer's Essence
Summary: She promised she would wait for him, and with that, he disappeared from her life that very night. Now, eight years later, she has found another man to love. Will Kenshin have another chance at love with Kaoru, or will the past resurface to separate them again? AU.
1. Chapter 1

Hello *waves nervously from behind laptop* Welcome to another one of my stories. I swear I'm still working on _Through Rain and Fire_, so there's no need to worry about that! ^^' I just needed to get my muse focused on another project for a while so that I could come up with some refreshing ideas for future drabbles.

Now then, this story is a little out of my comfort zones... mostly the last part is, and you'll probably see why after reading it. I guarantee that it'll be different though! It's definitely an idea I've had running laps through my head for months on end. I've just never bothered writing it out until now...

Despite my personal opinions, I sincerely hope you'll take a liking to it! :D So please, enjoy!

Warning: Rating may change in later chapters.

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_Someday Soon_

by This Writer's Essence

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**Chapter 1**

_"Kaoru..."_

_"Mn...?" _

_"Kaoru, please, wake up."_

_"Ken...Kenshin...?" Kamiya Kaoru rubbed her heavy eyelids, trying her best to rise into an upright position but to no avail. It was pitch black in the bedroom with the exception of the street lights that blared through the window. It took her a bit of time for her drowsy mind to register what was going on, but the moment she did, a question hung in her thoughts. _

_'Why is he awake at so late an hour?' She gave a tired yawn, warily glancing to the clock hanging on the wall before looking back to the shadowed face that remained solemnly blank despite the swirling pools of lavender and amethyst showing the sadness and desperation the person truly felt. _

_"Is something bothering you?" She inquired, a small sympathetic smile coming to her face. _

_He never answered. _

_Only a second after Kaoru asked, she felt the pressure of his lips crash into hers, warm and fervent as if to tell her that everything would be all right. He pulled away, and she raised her hand to touch his marred left cheek, willing herself to stay awake as her worry started to grow. "Kenshin...?"_

_He grabbed her hand just as she was close enough to graze her fingertips over the scar. He lowered it some and squeezed the appendage tight. His eyes were quivering with unspoken emotion, and Kaoru could only stare as he opened his mouth to speak in a hushed tone. _

_He whispered, "I have to go now. Please, promise me that you'll wait until I return."_

_"Where are you__—?"_

_His index finger pressed gently against Kaoru's lips, urging her to quiet. He smiled sadly, relieved that she silenced herself. However, once more, she gazed into the glowing orbs in an attempt to understand the situation. _

_"I know you must be wondering what is going on," he said. "And there is nothing that I wish to do more than to tell you everything that's happening. It pains me that I cannot let you know yet, but I hope that you will forgive this lowly self for the trouble I have caused you..."_

_"Before I go, will you please promise that you will wait for me, Kaoru?" The question sounded almost like a challenge against her loyalty, and she couldn't help the irritated crease that deepened across the line of her eyebrows. _

_"Of course, Kenshin," Kaoru replied, anger slowly dissipating to concern. "But... why are you leaving?"_

_Kenshin drifted away, sliding off of the bed and to his feet, heading for the door that was left ajar. He turned to her, the smile still there but filled with an intense amount of dread. _

_"That is one of the many questions I wish I could answer, Kaoru. For now, though, wait for me until the time is right..." _

_**Eight years later...**_

"Will you marry me?"

"Yes! Yes, I will!"

Kaoru's tearful exclamations were blocked out by the eruption of clapping hands and congratulatory shouts and whistles that filled the restaurant as she accepted her boyfriend's proposal. She wrapped her arms around his neck and wept, the joy bursting out of her system in the form of tears.

Sagara Sanosuke drew her into a loving embrace, feeling on top of the world, happier than he had ever been in his life as his arms engulfed her in a hug. It was hard to believe that the two had once been mutual friends before they finally decided to form a romantic relationship; to some, the fact that they were dating was appalling and bewildering, but to others, such as most of their close knit group of friends, it had been something they could see coming for a very long time. He couldn't bring himself to blame those who were shocked by the news of their newfound affections for each other.

Kaoru and Sanosuke did not get along as well as they did with others. They honestly fought and argued more than anyone their friends had ever met, so the assumption that their bond was one similar to a brother-and-sister relationship seemed like an obvious explanation at the time.

Nevertheless, with Kenshin's mysterious disappearance, their friendship grew closer. That was how they came to confess their love for each other, and that was how Sanosuke gathered the courage to ask for Kaoru's hand in marriage after they had dated for five years.

The raven-haired woman composed herself, swiping away the tears with the back of her hand. She looked her fiancée in the eye for the first time since he popped the question. He smirked, leaving a quick chaste kiss on her lips.

"I promise to make you the happiest woman alive," Sanosuke declared.

Kaoru playfully smacked the top of his head, smiling. "You better keep to that oath, Mr. Sagara," she giggled. "If you do, I promise to hold my end of the bargain and do the same for you."

* * *

*shudders* In case you haven't noticed, the idea of Kaoru and Sanosuke (to me) in anything but a brother-sister relationship is something I don't like. I'm just not comfortable with it, but the need for Kaoru to have a man in her life besides Kenshin had to be filled for the plot. So, I had a few choices: Sanosuke, Aoshi, or Enishi. And honestly, I'd probably pick Sanosuke all over again if I had to because I can't imagine her with Aoshi, and the thought of her with Enishi scares me more (even if he was my first choice for Kaoru's fiancée ^^;;;;)

Your thoughts on the story thus far would be greatly appreciated!

TTFN! Thanks for stopping by!


	2. Chapter 2

Oh my, so many reviewers sharing the same resentment for the Kaoru/Sanosuke pairing as I do ^^'' Then again, I did mention in the last chapter that Kaoru just having a man was an essential key component for the plot to move along... and it also allows for this unworthy writer to come up with her own line of twists and turns for future chapters hehe. I'm sorry if it's offended anyone, but it was a must-do that simply could not be avoided no matter the direction I went.

Thank you my dears for your reviews, however :) I appreciated every one of them. And there's no need to fret, this will end as a Kenshin/Kaoru story, because like everyone else, I can't see any man who could fit her better than our funny little redhead. Now, let us go on to the next chapter, eh?

Warning: Rating may change in later chapters.

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_Someday Soon_

by This Writer's Essence

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**Chapter 2**

_Kaoru awoke to the blinding rays of sunlight filtering into the bedroom the following morning. _

_A bird or two perched on the branch of the old oak tree that stood outside of the apartment complex. Their unblinking black eyes stared at her before a car flew by, causing the pair to flutter away in haste. However, she noticed the way their beady eyes looked at her; it was as if they were wondering what the meaning was of the tears subconsciously rolling down her cheeks. _

_'Stop it,' she told herself firmly, wiping the stinging tears from her clammy skin as she struggled to keep a strong outer exterior. She patted her cheeks a few times to wake up her senses. 'Kenshin's gone, but I know he'll be back soon. You're use to his job driving him away from home so much, how is this any different?' _

_As much as Kaoru wanted to believe her own sweet lies, somewhere deep down, she realized there was a much bigger meaning to this than anything she could possibly imagine._

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_"He left?!" _

_Her close friend Makimachi Misao gaped, the Styrofoam cup dropping out of her grip and onto the tiled floor. The contents within spilled out, leaving a large brown puddle to accumulate on the ground. _

_Kaoru confirmed it with a silent nod. _

_She had decided on breaking the news to her friends at the nearby coffee shop they always came to discuss and enjoy each other's company. The occasion, however, was all but a delightful time as she explained Kenshin's disappearance to them, leaving out the kiss he had given her before departing. _

_The tallest of their group, Sanosuke, crossed his arms and leaned back on the rear legs of the chair. He said, "Something about this doesn't feel right. Are you sure he didn't say anything about where he was heading off to, or at least gave you a hint or two to go off on?"_

_"I already told you what he said," she murmured. "He left without saying a word about his whereabouts or what he had to do..."_

_"Then I guess we got no lead on him," Myojin Yahiko muttered, propping his feet onto the glass table and mimicking Sanosuke's arm crossing. "So much for that."_

_Misao glared at the child and smacked him upside the head with a balled fist. "You should be more considerate of Kaoru's feelings!" She exclaimed upon receiving an annoyed look from him. "She was closer to Himura than us, so she's probably having a harder time dealing with this than either one of us."_

_"Really?" Yahiko snorted, throwing a glance toward Kaoru. "Then why not _ask _her how she feels before deciding for her?"_

_All eyes turned in Kaoru's direction, and she raised her gaze from the floor to meet each of their curious stares one by one. _

_'The path I chose to walk with Kenshin is a path that's long and rough, but it's still the path I've chosen for myself in the end. If something like his job gets in the way of our lives, it doesn't bother me in the slightest. But...'_

_"Knowing he left the way he did..." She mumbled aloud. "It... makes me worried that he might never come back..."_

"Jou-chan?"

"Huh?"

Kaoru stopped in the midst of her reverie, focusing her eyes back on Sanosuke who was looking at her over his shoulder. He was standing shirtless in the doorway of the bathroom, his pants still on but his hands working at slipping the belt from the loops. She sighed, running a hand through her unruly raven-black bangs.

"Oi, is everything alright?"

He sat down beside her on the unmade bed, tempted to put an arm around her shoulders and to hold her close in any way that would make her cheer up, but settling for being at her side in case she needed him. She stared down at her bare feet, unable to meet her fiancée's eyes.

"I don't know," she answered truthfully.

Sanosuke brought his arm around and secured it about her waist. Then, he smiled considerately at the idea that came to mind and asked, "How about we head to the coffee shop for a bit? Maybe getting out of this stuffy apartment might make you feel better."

* * *

It was a long wait in line just for a cup of coffee.

Kaoru growled irritably through bared teeth, attempting to open a little packet of creamer to give the jet black pool flavor. She was beginning to regret her decision to not have Sanosuke come along.

_I can never open these damn things._

As usual, it had been a tough task to persuade the man to let her go alone. They could have sat on the bed and argued until they were blue in the face, but instead, Kaoru tried to come up with a valid motive for wanting to be by herself.

_"I just need a little time to myself to think things over," she reasoned. _

As honest as the thought had been, Kaoru only said it to end the interrogation so she could leave. And thankfully, Sanosuke gave in, digging into his pants pocket and drawing out the keys to the car and the apartment. Before he fully complied, though, he enclosed the desired silver keys in the palm of his hand.

_"Just make sure you be careful, Jou-chan. The last thing I'd want to see is for you to get hurt."_

_"I will." She smiled, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek as a way to assure him that she'd be fine. _

Well, Kaoru _would _be all fine and dandy if the stupid packet would open. She let out a groan as her efforts failed yet again. "Who the hell are they trying to keep out of these things?" She mused.

A tap on the shoulder caused her head to twist around. She was about to snap at the perpetrator who dared to interrupt her concentration, but her colorful choice of words became lost in the back of her mind as her eyes fully focused on the person standing before her. Only one word escaped her mouth, but the word she spoke stood as a name for someone she had not addressed in a very long time.

"K...Kenshin...?"

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I apologize for the long wait! School recently started back up for me (and I have to prepare myself to go again tomorrow T-T), but that hasn't stopped me from updating! An early appearance perhaps, hm? Yes, I thought so too, but his early appearance plays a major role.

By all means, let me know what you think thus far!

TTFN! Thanks for stopping by!


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